The Hold
by Tig-sama
Summary: The Host Series Book 1: Jasper Panthera, Head of the Panthera Clan and possible only living member. Melanie Stryder, eldest sister of Jamie Stryder. Before Jared Howe, and before Wanderer. Pre-Host, during the apocalypse, read as Melanie, Jamie, and Jasper survive both by themselves and together. I do not own The Host by Stephanie Meyers. Family, Tragedy, Romance, Action.
1. Unexpected Allies

**Chapter 1**

**Unexpected Allies**

_::Jasper Panthera::_

It was before even even I was born, they had come with the intention of take over.

They were neighbors, your family, your friends, or your lover, even. They called themselves "Souls" and they took us humans as hosts.

I was only ten years old when my Daddy started acting funny, he had gone to visit Aunt and Uncle Piroza, they had not returned calls in a bit.

Then it was my younger brother, Hamjata, he had strange glowing eyes, and a talent for mathematics in which he never had.

When Mama noticed the strangeness, till one night Mama woke me up with a packed bag for me, and the keys to her car. Mama had pushed me into her car, drove through the night without Daddy or Hamjata knowing, both of them asleep, and unknowing.

Mama had taken me to Grandpa, a jolly old man with more paranoidness than anything else anyone knew, he had been in the army for so long till his bum leg couldn't keep him going anymore.

When Mama and I stayed with Grandpa Panthera for almost three years before Daddy found Mama at a store once, I was just a few rows back when Daddy found Mama. Their conversation was odd.

"Honey, I should've known you would be here. Where have you been?" Daddy said with a voice of weariness.

"I don't know what your talking about. I told you in my letter, I needed some time away from "us" till I could figure out what to do." Mama spoke dismissively picking up a few cans of chili, while her other hand seemed to motion to me to stay put.

"I know you said that, but I wasn't expecting you to take Jasper with you! Hamjata and I were worried. Most of all you missed Anita and Adam's visit." Daddy whispered argumentatively. Mama looked at him with unreadable emotions passing her features.

"I'm not to sure you truly worried about us, Frerin. I think you were more worried of the visit you were so excited about. I know what you truly are, and I don't think your name is really Frerin, Frerin." Mama spoke carefully as she voiced her true feelings, "I don't think even you realized I knew. I don't know who you are or why you chose to have Hamjata either, but I refuse to be apart of it."

Mama's eyes were ablaze as she spoke those words, Daddy looked very frightened when she spoke to him. Daddy would have never been so fearful of Mama, but in that moment that was not Daddy.

And before anyone knew it, Mama started screaming, screaming at Daddy in the middle of a store. People came running, and pushing Daddy back when Mama screamed, "Help! Help! Get him away from me!" she would scream as she threw herself on the floor, and injuring herself to make it look like Daddy did it.

When chaos broke, Mama was surrounded by people as they tried to help her, and Daddy was taken away. When I was said and done, Mama had left the store with me in her arms and a kart full of food that wouldn't go to waste.

Daddy had disappeared, we had watched him drive away, but not without the fear of him coming back set in our minds. When Mama, and I finally left for Grandpa, we were hidden in a secret bunker, as I had said, Grandpa was more paranoid than anyone would possibly believe.

It had not taken long for them to get to Mama though. Mama needed to leave since she was so sick, we could not help her, Grandpa and I remained however. Mama said she would be back, but she never came back, at least not by herself.

Grandpa had taken one look, and handed me a book of all the places he had gone to. Places with people who were just as paranoid as him, people that could help. Grandpa barricaded the door, and began packing up anything and everything I could possibly take, after living with Grandpa and Mama for so long I had learned many things, and one of those things was how to survive with almost nothing.

Once I had enough packed, Grandpa handed me his most special AXMC long range Sniper rifle, a silencer with a vector, his precious reloading kit for bullets to be made, and enough ammunition to last me a long time.

At fifteen years old, my Daddy and brother had been taken over by aliens, and my Mama was either taken as well or dead. My Grandpa had a shotgun in hand, and the amulets of his patron and deity gods, Kratos god of strength and power along with Ares god of war and violence.

At fifteen years old, my family was either dead or taken over. My Grandpa had grabbed a little paint box and began the ceremony of gods, painting intricate designs into my face as a form of blessing.

This ceremony was a symbolic testimony of right as an adult and the gift of who my patron and deity might be. A way of right as a member of the Panthera Clan. Being blessed with your Patron and Deity gods or goddesses.

It was a hurried ceremony, where I had received both my patron and deity, and Grandpa had handed me a smaller book with the directions to another secret place that held all the instruction and learning of the Panthera Clan.

Grandpa must've known we would never meet again as he handed me the amulets of my patron and deity. It is tradition for the eldest member of the Panthera Clan to make the amulets of the next in line as head of the Panthera Clan, and the eldest members job to teach the next in line all about their duties.

A tradition I swore to follow the moment my Grandpa handed me the amulets and the small book. I swore I would continue the Panthera Clan legacy, and carefully teach those chosen as the Panthera Clan members the way of the clan.

The day I last saw my Grandpa as I escaped I could still remember the sound of the shotgun as my Grandpa had shot the flammable stove in the underground bunker, assuring both his death and any trace of me being followed.


	2. A Young One's Demise

**Chapter 2**

**A Young One's Demise**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

With a rifle strapped to her back, the vector attached to her hip guard, and a duffle bag attached to her shoulder as she ran. A long bat in one hand and her hand near her vector, Jasper did not know how, but Seekers were in the area, and searching for something or more like someone.

She was weaving through the backyards of houses in a normal suburban neighborhood, sticking closely to the shadows, wearing dark clothing. Her long jet black hair tied into a tight braid at top her head, strange beads were integrated in hair from one could see in her braid were complex braids and beads of strange colors or carved into.

As Jasper jumped over a fence to another backyard, nearing closer to the group of Seekers, she could hear yelling as the Seekers seemed to converge in one particular area. There was six of them, and a small body of something huddle in a wall holding something which caused the Seekers to remain at bay.

She wouldn't have come near where the Seekers were, but growing up, Jasper learned to follow instincts, and her instincts told her to help whoever it was the Seekers were after. She did exactly that.

Moving in a swift, but quick manner. Jasper moved toward the first Seeker she saw. Just a few feet away, and she moves just as the Seeker turns around and beats the Seeker in the head with the long bat in her hands. _One down, five more to go_, Jasper thought twisting around to wack another Seeker who had turned around and met the bat in the face.

Falling to the ground, and bringing a third Seeker down, as Jasper moved head on to the Seekers. She had brought down a total of four, while two still remained, those two Seekers seemed to have a sense to move away from Jasper and toward the small huddled body.

Launching herself at them, Jasper swings in a wide arch horizontally pushing the Seekers back as she stood in front of the huddled body. Keeping a close eye on the Seekers who backed away from Jasper and toward the other injured Seekers on the ground, Jaspers backed up to the body clutching the wall. Moving one hand down, Jasper grabbed what he assumed to be the arm of the huddled body bringing it toward her.

"Grab my hand, and whatever you do, don't let go! Jasper ordered the person she held onto. The arm in her hand seemed to understand as it grabbed onto her wrist, and she loosening her grab only to have a hand laced into hers.

That's when she moved, once the Seekers had taken a moment to look down at their injured, she rammed into the side of one of the still standing Seekers. The hand Jasper held tugged and tightened as they ran for a good long period of time, the person who held her hand obviously was tiring.

Once she was sure they were at a safe distance, Jasper stopped, breathing in and out for long moments. Turning, Jasper evaluated the person with her, it was a little boy barely hitting puberty.

He had straight dark brown hair so dark it looked black, tan skin, and when their eyes met in the dim light they were hidden near Jasper could see chocolate brown eyes stare back at her.

"Th-Thank you for saving me." the boy managed to breath out through heavy breathes. Obviously struggling to breath properly after such a chase. "I-I'm J-Jamie Stryder." he said quietly.

Jasper stares a the boy, he had no glowing eyes like one of the aliens, and he seemed to be uninjured. A young boy, by himself to boot, still alive and surviving. In some ways this surprised Jasper, but then again not many things surprised often.

"Name's Jasper. Jasper Panthera." Jasper responded quietly as she looked out the area watching for Seekers to appear, "Twas real stupid of you to get caught like that, Jamie. I'm surprised you survived for so long." Jasper spoke in a dispassionate voice.

Aliens or humans it didn't matter. Both were beings to be wary of, and Jasper had good reason to be fearful. Jamie studied his savior as she watched the area, he could barely see her features from where he sat at the angle he was in, but he could make out brilliant green eyes, and jet black hair.

"My sister, Melanie and I have been together, I need to get to her and warn her about the Seekers." Jamie whispers out hastily. Moving to get out of the hiding spot, Jasper grabs his shirt and yanks him back down, a stern look in her eyes, "Are you a fool? You can't go out lugging around all noisily, the bastards will find you! We'll find your sister. Where were supposed to meet each other?" Jasper whispered violently to Jamie who stared in wonder at Jasper.

"We were supposed to meet in the one of the aliens houses, the little white house on the corner of Lancelot Lane," Jamie explained looking as Jasper as she thought carefully.

"Alright, I'll help ya, but stay close to me and don't you dare make a single sound till we get there. Take this." Jasper ordered in a no nonsense voice as she handed her bat to Jamie. His surprised look point obviously that his never probably never allowed him to have any kind of weaponry in his hands.

"We'll wait till the next Seeker's vehicle passes by, alright?" Jasper spoke quickly as Jamie nodded to her response. The atmosphere around them grew intense as Jasper remained in her squatted position for a long period of time her muscles relaxed as she waited for the car to drive by.

Pulling out her vector, Jasper watched the car drive by, and once it turned the corner, Jasper whispered, "Now!"

Tensing the muscles in her legs Jasper launched herself forward with Jamie close behind her. Running across the road, and into the backyard of a dark house. Moving carefully, Jasper travelled with Jamie stopping him periodically to listen for the familiar hum of a vehicle or the sound of unknown footsteps.

I was slow and tasking, which caused Jamie to become ansty where he stood everytime they stopped. When they finally made it to the corner of Lancelot Lane, Jamie nearly bolted out to the little white house his sister was in.

To tell the truth, Jamie wasn't supposed to leave the house, but he felt ansty when his sister was gone for so long, and had taken the chance to leave. He was then caught by the Seekers or at least nearly caught and taken by them.

He felt fearful if the Seekers had found his sister, but even worse he did not want to face his sisters wrath for leaving the confines of the house they were in to find her. Jasper seemed sense his anxiety, and placed a hand on his shoulder nodding to him before bolting across the street with him close behind.

Once at the door of the house, Jasper leads Jamie around to the backyard of the house, her next words shocking him, "Alright, you stay behind me just in case those Seekers are inside, got it?" Jasper ordered heading forward, vector in hand.

Opening the backdoor and heading inside. The house itself was super quiet, the kind of quiet that was a little daunting, and exciting. Jasper could just feel the adrenaline pumping in her body as she walked carefully into the building, not hearing anything.

"AAAHH!" a voice yelled as a body came stampeding towards Jasper, who in turn was taken by surprise and fell to the ground losing her vector.

The assailant was trying to pin Jasper to the ground as Jasper raised her arms to cover her face, and thrust her leg up with as much momentum as she could to kick the person on top of her in the head.

Just barely succeeded the assailant flew forward on top of Jasper, and Jasper in turn, takes her arms up and pushes the assailant forward, completely throwing the assailant off of herself and onto the floor.

"Melanie! Stop!" Jamie yelled running to stop the assailant from launching herself onto Jasper again. Jasper who had moved and grabbed her vector holding it up at Melanie.

At a standstill, the tenseness in the air could almost be sliced with a kitchen knife. Jamie gently places the bat he holds down as he speaks quickly to Melanie, "She's not here to hurt us. She helped me escape from the Seekers."

"W-What?! What were you doing!? I told you not to leave the house, Jamie!" Melanie turned her wrath onto Jamie as soon as he spoke. Her hands immediately raising to look into the boys' eyes and then a lecture started boiling from within Melanie toward her little brother.

"I'm sorry, okay! I just-...you were….You were gone for so long, I thought they caught you…" Jamie spoke quietly to Melanie as he neared tears right before her. His fear finally being voiced.

"No..oh Jamie...I would never let myself get caught. You know that." Melanie spoke gently. Pulling Jamie close to her in a gentle hug, Jamie silently cried in Melanie's arms. Jasper completely forgotten in their conversation.

Sighing, Jasper lowered her vector and put it back in its guard. Standing up, Jasper walked towards them, picking up her bat carefully. Melanie and Jamie too lost in their moment to notice Jasper's quiet movements.

Taking a moment to breath, Jasper removed her duffle bag and the rifle on her back, sitting down near Melanie and Jamie. Leaning against a doorway with both a view of the two crying humans and the both the front and backdoor.

And that was how they had spent the rest of the night in the house. Jasper dozing, listening for the sounds of approaching people, while Melanie and Jamie had fallen into a fitful sleep near her.

When the rise of the dawn came, Jamie had stirred first. His eyes opening and he spotted Jasper against the doorway, bat in lap a the ready. Jamie watched her as the sun rose, and could see her features more clearly.

She didn't look much older than him and his sister. "Good morning, Jamie." Jasper spoke quietly, jolting in surprise at her greeting, Jamie looked up at Jasper. Her brilliant green eyes meeting his chocolate hues.

"G'morning." Jamie replied back quietly, and quite shyly, "Sorry for the mess last night."

"S'alright. I 'xpect I would respond in the same way if my little brother disappeared in the dark of night in the very house he was told to remain in," Jasper replies her voice sounding stern causing Jamie to look down in shame, "But I would also feel thankful for having such a good little brother who worries about me."

This causes Jamie to look up and sees twinkling green eyes look back at him. A smile spreads across Jamie's face as he realizes he wasn't truly in trouble. Moving closer to Jasper as she pulls out a small orange and begins peeling it, handing a slices to Jamie.

"So, how long have you been by yourself?" Jamie asked taking the offered slice and eating it carefully, savoring the taste of bitterly-sweet orange. Jasper peels another slice off the orange and eats it.

"Give or take about two years or so. I'm not too sure." Jasper responded as she gave Jamie another slice of orange. Sharing the orange as they converse between each other created an almost serene tranquility between them. Something Jasper had not experienced in a long time.

"...then ended in the rat and the chef owning the restaurant. The chef also gets the girl too, and the rat is the perfect chef too. It was soo cool to watch…" Jamie spoke animatedly to someone.

Melanie just layed where she was resting listening to Jamie tell the story of a movie about a rat who wanted to be a chef. His voice was soothing to Melanie, but then she stopped thinking about that. Who was Jamie talking to? Then Melanie heard it.

"That is quite the tale. Makes me think of the movie called, "Aristocats" it's about a mother cat and her babies making their way home after being dumped off by the butler in their rich owners house…" the voice was melodic almost, a steady rhythmic of notes and a slightly accented voice from someplace Melanie could not place.

Melanie suddenly burst up, wide awake realizing the situation, "Jamie!" Melanie spoke quickly whipping her head around. Only to stop and see a strange girl leaning on a doorway while Jamie sat near her.

Her black hair was pulled atop her head, and from what Melanie could see there were strange beads in her hair. She was wearing a dark grey turtle neck, and faded grey pants with brown hiking boots. From the looks of it a gun rested in a holster on her thigh/hip. The most awe-striking thing Melanie noticed were her eyes, they were a brilliant green like a freshly grown forest.

"Melanie, its okay. She's human." Jamie says, a smile on his lips. Something Melanie had not seen in a while. _How did she get him to smile like that_, Melanie thought, slowly moving towards the.

"We saved some orange slices for you." Jamie said holding out some slices in his hand to Melanie, who hesitantly took them from Jamie. She stared at the girl carefully.

"My names Melanie, Melanie Stryder." Melanie spoke watching, the girl make eye contact with her. The girl nods in understanding, "I know, you're Jamie's big sister that he so desperately seemed to worry for you." the girl replies, she was not smiling when she said this, but her eyes seemed to say a different story entirely.

They twinkled like green stars, and they reminded Melanie of Uncle Jeb. A man so crazy, he seemed logical. The looked this girl was exactly like Uncle Jebs.

"Names Jasper Panthera." the girl said, slipping a slice of orange into her mouth.


	3. Touching Moments

**Chapter 3:**

**Touching Moments**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

_To think it's only been a month_, thought Melanie as she watched Jamie and Jasper working on something together. A month since JAsper had joined their little group, and grown to learn from each other.

At first Melanie was very apprehensive with Jasper, but Jamie managed to change that when Melanie noticed. Even though Jasper did not laugh or smile and always had this blank look about her, her eyes twinkled with a familiar mischief Melanie had not seen in a long time.

Melanie had warmed up to Jasper in no time. She was quiet, alert, and had that big old rifle in her hands which made Melanie feel safe sometimes. The matter in who carried the firearms had arisen between them once. Jamie wanted to try and hold one of Jasper's guns, while Jasper did not mind, Melanie on the other hand had a cat fight about it.

"He'll need to learn how to handle himself at some point." Jasper had stated assertively arms at both her sides, no sign of moving in her position as Melanie stared deviantly at Jasper.

"No, he'll hurt himself. What if he shoots himself? He could kill himself with one of those things!" Melanie burst out angrily pointing a the big rifle still strapped to Jasper's back on that day.

Jasper blinked, "How could he shoot himself if either of us could be monitoring him while he is learning how to handle the gun? Or when he is learning how to use it? You know how to hold a gun right?" Jasper asked a tone of completely boredom passing through her lips.

Melanie crossed her arms and huffed, "I know how to handle a gun, and Jamie doesn't need to be holding that big gun of yours. This is my final say. I am putting my foot down on this." Slamming her foot to the ground to make her point to Jasper. Jamie's shoulders slump in lost hope.

Jasper shrugs at Melanie, "Alright, I won't give him the gun," Melanie sighs in relief only to tense again at Jasper's next words, "Here you go Jamie. LEt me teach how to properly use a weapon."

Jasper had handed Jamie her long bat, and started leading him away from Melanie for safety.

"W-Wait-" Melanie starts to say reaching her arm out.

"What? You said he couldn't use a gun, not a bat." Jasper replied innocently, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

_Just like Uncle Jeb. You just can't win, _Melanie thought shaking her head Jasper's comment. Watching Jasper show Jamie how to properly swing the bat, Jamie took the bat and tried to copy Jasper's position.

They had taken turns in gathering food, it was nice knowing Jamie had someone with him instead him being by himself. Or when Melanie would stay, and Jasper would go out, both of them knew that at anytime Jasper could leave, but she never did.

She came back every time always with something new for Jamie to learn or something Jamie needed to know. It was in this odd little routine where Melanie and Jasper became closer.


	4. It's Not Two, But Three

**Chapter 4:**

**It's Not Just Two, But Three**

It had been six months since Jasper had joined Melanie and Jamie. They stuck closely together. Always together, and that's how they rolled. Jamie would go to Jasper for questions, and then Melanie would help Jasper with the chores.

When the moment came though when Jasper had sat them all down and they had an evening meal. Jasper still had not smiled or laughed in the time they all spent together. That evening Jamie had asked a question which dropped the temperature in the room.

"Jasper, what's your little brother like?" Jamie asked nonchalantly, not realizing the risk in his question. Jasper stopped chewing her food for the moment.

"Jamie!" Melanie said scoldingly.

"It is alright, he didn't mean nothing by it. My little brother was one of the first beside my father who had been taken in the wave. Hamjata, and my father had gone to visit my Aunt and Uncle who had not returned any of my Mama's calls." Jasper explained swallowing hard, "When they had come back, their eyes were strange, and they could do things that normally they could not do."

It was a long silent moment before Melanie spoke, "I was twelve years old when my Dad shot himself, Jamie was just nine year old. We were hiding underneath the deck in the water when they came. A group of them, about five to six walking straight towards the shack where Dad was in." Melanie spoke in a wavering voice, "He shot himself to make sure we wouldn't get found, while our Mom had purposely walked off a cliff into the sea."

Jez not moving spoke steady eyes set seriously unlike their normal mischief, "I do not know what happened to my Mama, but my Grandpa and I had been left together when she disappeared. When they came, the Seekers, we had barricaded the bunker door. Grandpa's bum leg couldn't get him anywhere, so he handed me his favorite rifle while telling me goodbye." Jez quietly shifting in place as she stared into the fire they had, "When I left the bunker, all I heard was the sound of the bunker and the Seekers getting blown up as he shot the most flammable of the equipment in the bunker."

Jamie was completely silent throughout Melanie's and Jasper's conversation of what happened. The tears were streaming down his eyes, as he listened, Jamie realized it had been so very hard without his parents, and he bet Melanie and Jasper felt the same way.

Gently, Jamie moved near Melanie, hugging her as the tears travelled down his face. Melanie unable to hold it in any longer, the tears streaming down her face as well. Jasper, however, remained tearless. Her tears had been already been cried out when she had to say her goodbyes to her Grandpa.

That didn't mean when she stood, and walked over to Melanie holding Jamie in her arms, she couldn't still feel the pain. Sitting down carefully, Jasper gathered Melanie and Jamie into her arms.

Melanie felt the sudden feeling of safety as she could smell dark forest, and oranges. Jamie and Melanie held onto each other, arms wrapped around each other and in Jasper's arms.

The silence only held the sounds of Melanie and Jamie's cries in the night. Jasper held them closely to her body as they cried their heart out. Crying for loss of family, loss of friends, and the fear of losing each other.

They truly didn't know how long they had held onto each other nor how long Jamie and Melanie had cried or when Jasper had started humming a strange tune.

When morning came, Melanie had woken up wrapped in Jamie's and Jasper's arms. Moving herself was tiring, and even better Jamie opened his eyes as well to find himself wrapped in two of his most favorite peoples arms.

Jasper had woken soon after to the wiggling of Melanie, and the giggling of Jamie. Jamie spoke quietly, "Let's never leave each other."

Melanie froze at Jamie's sleepy comment. Turning, she looked at Jamie, then her eyes rose to Jasper's reaction. It was shocking and awe-striking to Melanie.

Jasper was smiling, her eyes dancing with an emotion Melanie could only describe as the kind of look her mother had when she looked at Melanie or Jamie. A look of pure happiness, Jasper's eyes raised to Melanie's, and they both smiled to each others.

Pulling the sleepy Jamie closer, Jasper quietly commented, "We'll always be together, Jamie."

After that night, Jasper smiled a lot more.


	5. What Is Fun?

**Chapter 5**

**What is Fun?**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

Early afternoon was when Melanie noticed it. It was very quiet where they were in the house that they were hiding in. A little too quiet.

It had been a year since Jasper had joined Melanie and Jamie's little group. They were so close knit it was almost unstoppable. They always knew where one another was. It was near uncanny.

But today, Melanie did not know where Jamie or Jasper was. It was truly odd as Melanie made her way around the house, quietly calling out for them. Melanie felt they were in the house, but not where they were exactly.

"Jamie? Jasper? Ugh, where are you two!" Melanie called out, just a Jamie jumped out shooting her with water. Squealing, Melina tried to run away, only for Jasper to jump out with two guns of her own.

"Stop! You two!" Melanie yelled at them, managing to run away from Jasper and Jamie as they chase after her.

Melanie could hear Jamie laughing happily at Melanie's demise. Peeking out, Melanie spotted Jasper holding out a squirt gun for Melanie, a smile on her face. Taking the squirt gun, Melanie aimed it at Jamie.

Yelling at Jamie, Melanie pulled the trigger only for it backfire, and shoot her in the face. Melanie stops moving, and stares at the squirt gun in her hands blankly, a betrayed look on her face.

That is when they heard it, a melodic laughter erupting behind Melanie. Turning, Melanie looked at the Jasper who had a great big smile, laughter dancing in her eyes, and a happy song erupting from her lips.

Melanie stared, and Jamie joined in Jaspers happy laughter.

To laugh in a world where humanity was near extinct could definitely bring light to those who still remain hidden. For Melanie, Jasper, and Jamie laughing was difficult to come by, but to have fun was definitely something atrocious indeed.

And for three kids like them, they found it absolutely mad.


	6. The Joining

**Chapter 6**

**The Joining**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

"I'd like to make you apart of my family." Jasper had said one day. Shocking Jamie and Melanie by her comment. Confusion laced through Melanie and Jamie at Jasper's comment.

"What do you mean?" Melanie spoke in confusion stopping her working hands from the food she was making for everyone tonight. Jamie also chimed in, "Didn't you say your family was a native clan or something?"

Nodding Jasper spoke, "The Panthera Clan has been around for ages, generations all the way back to when Ancient Egyptian, the Mayan, and the Aztecs were the rulers of the world." Staring ahead of herself, but not actually seeing in front of her as she explained.

"But why us? Isn't that something a Chief or Shaman should do?" Melanie asked looking at Jasper questioningly. Jasper on the other hand continued to stare off as Melanie spoke, and Jamie listened.

Looking to them, "My Grandfather was Chief and Shaman of the Panthera Clan, I grew trained to take on the family traditions even though civilization and technology was rising, the Clan would continue its traditions. By birthright, and the blessing of my Grandfather, I am the Chieftess and Shaman of the Panthera Clan." Jasper explained, a look of major importance could be seen clearly in her eyes.

"I trust you both. I...love you both like family. I'd like to make you officially apart of my Clan. You would become my soul sister, and my soul brother. To me, it is a blessing to have you with me, and I have carefully thought about it. I would love to have you in my clan. Would you?" Jasper explained and when she admitted her love for them, Melanie felt shock run through her.

What Jasper asked them was like a rich men donating thousands of dollars to charity. Jasper's Clan is one of the most closed-knit and secretive Clans ever known before the takeover happened. The Panthera Clan was known for its large group and traditions of the lands, it's history dated back to pre-Mayan, and Aztec.

Before Melanie could ask for Jasper to let her think about it, Jamie burst out, "YES!" jumping up and hugging Jasper. Surprising Melanie at the same time. It shouldn't have surprised Melanie, but Jamie's outburst had flipped the decision in her mind.

She truly loved Jasper like a sister, and sometimes like a mother. Jasper made Jamie laugh and smile in a way Melanie had not seen in a long time. Jasper had helped bring Melanie's laugh back too, and both of them had made Jasper laugh as well.

They all needed each other just as much as any other.

"Alight, I would love to join." Melanie spoke a determination set in her heart as she realized she had accepted Jasper in her heart long before her head realized.

The process itself to become apart of Jasper's Clan was not long. Melanie, Jamie, and Jasper sat in a circle. The moon hung full with its light shining down on them in the dark of the forest they sat in.

Jasper spoke in a language neither of them could understand, but it sounded oddly melodic. And when Jasper began to sing, it truly surprised Melanie, and Jamie, as Jasper sung beautifully. There was a first for everything.

Once Jasper finished her song, she spoke quietly, "Take my hands." Melanie and Jamie held each of Jasper's hands. A strange mushy gunk squishing between each hand.

"Melanie Stryder, though you are over the age, and much wiser in terms. You have chosen to join the Panthera Clan. Your whole heart must accept the binding, while the physical body you possess must relieve itself of your bounds. Are you prepared?" Jasper asked, a strange undertoning passing in her voice as she spoke.

Melanie was quiet for a moment with this questions. In her heart? Did she? Yes, she accept what she was about to do, and her mind probably hadn't caught up, but Melanie spoke before she could, "Yes, I'm prepared."

Jaspers grip loosened in Melanie's as she let go of Melanie's hands, the strange substance now in Melanie's hands. "You accepted the terms, now you must take your trial. Eat the reinigung." Jasper's words left her lips, yet still seemed off.

Following her instruction, Melanie takes the substance and passes it into her mouth. The substance had an odd taste and yet was sweetly nauseasting as it passed down her throat.

"You shall enter your trial, your new name shall be Lioness of the Panthera Clan, a warrioress with many talent both in the mind and in your cunning." Jasper whispered to Melanie leaning forward near her.

Melanie feeling odd falls back laying on the ground, her eyes unable to remain open as she slips into an odd sleep.

Turning, Jasper looks to Jamie as Jamie cries out, "Melanie!"

"It is alright, she is going through her trial to be accepted by the Panthera ancestors. Jamie Stryder, you are several years above the Joining Ceremony, but are you prepared to join? Your whole heart must accept the binding, while the physical body you possess must relieve itself of your bounds. Do you accept the Joining?" Jasper spoke, the undertone passing through her lips translucently as Jamie looks up.

Jamie's eyes widen as he sees Jasper's eyes closed as she spoke and strange lines in her skin. But the sight did not worry him as much as he thought, for the question Jasper spoke to him rang in his mind as the words leave his mouth, "I do."

Removing her hands, Jamie repeats the process his sister does, and eats the strange substance. "You shall enter your trial, your new name shall be StarBird of the Panthera Clan for your independence, and grand dreams." Jasper spoke as Jamie's body slowly lowered to the ground his mind becoming foggy before slipping into darkness.


	7. A Storm's A'Brewing

**Chapter Seven:**

**Storm's A'Brewing**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

It was very late at night, and cold with the scent of rain in the air. A storm on its way, and the trio had nowhere to go for the night. At least no shelter for that matter.

The chilly air seemed to seized the bones in Jasper as she and Melanie tried to find somewhere to be whilst Jamie followed closely behind. It became dangerous as rain poured and the sound of thunder waved across the sky.

Jamie shivered as he kept himself closely between Melanie and Jasper, doing his best to stay warm in the merciless weather in the night. Jasper's eyes travelled around the area carefully, and when she spotted the empty house which had no cars and no lights.

It was a risk, but one they had to take to get out of the rain. Light flashed a short way away from them, lightning striking up the needed to attempt the risk. Jasper points to the house for Melanie to see the rain too loud with the thunder roaring for Jasper to even speak.

Nodding, Melanie pushes forward to the house, now wasn't the time to argue. Lightning flashed for a second time, but just a little closer than the first. Now or never, and that's what they desperately needed.

Approaching the house, Jamie noticed other houses with no lights as well. Someone was always awake in the wee hours. That's how it worked. Always. _A power outage!_Jamie thought, and then pulls on Melanie shirt.

Turning, Melanie looks to Jamie, and watches him as he tries to yell something whilst pointing at the other houses. Jasper had also stopped when she noticed the other to warm bodies gone.

Watching Jamie's hand movement towards the others houses, Jasper manages to put two and two together. It's not that there isn't anyone home, but a power outage probably knocked out the whole neighborhood.

Jasper quickly turned back around, searching while Melanie tried to figure out what Jamie was doing. Eyes not landing or spotting anything in particular that could shield them from the weather. This place was not where they could stay.

Grabbing Melanie's and Jamie's hands Jasper pulled them forward. Not wasting time for their question Jasper lead them away from the few house they stood near and toward an outcrop of meadow-like land.

Hours had passed as Jasper, Melanie, and Jamie continued their trek.

When they found it, it was shocking indeed, but a gift, the trio was grateful for. A little abandoned trailer, and from the looks of it, recently abandoned.

Making their way toward it. Jasper and Melanie managed to get the door open, and enter the place. It was cold and from the looks of it, hadn't been used in a while. Jasper surveys the area, not too damaged for an abandoned building.

It would definitely need a good cleaning what with all the dust and smell of mildew in the air. Searching through cupboards, Melanie finds blankets and the bed in the back still had a mattress, for now until they could figure out a more suitable space, they would huddle together for warmth.

The trio truly didn't know how long they had huddled together for warmy going in and out in sleep, but it was long enough for the storm to cease just for a bit, and Jamie to realize Melanie was shivering oddly.


	8. She's Sick

**Chapter Eight:**

**She's Sick**

_::3rd Person Point of View::_

The storm brewed on for the rest of the night. The shelter Jasper, Jamie, and Melanie had found was stable enough to protect them, but Melanie was shivering, and when Jasper placed a hand on her forehead only to realize Melanie's high fever.

Another day had passed, the storm continued on changing from rain to hail and dry thunders barrelling in the days and nights. Melanie had not gotten any better, the decision had to be made.

Melanie's fever had drastically risen and the coughing fits had begun. There unfortunately was no medications of any kind in any of the trio's bags. Jasper watched as Jamie worry s Melanie lay on the makeshift bed they had made using cushions they pulled off an old couch. The bed was much too dirty to truly have Melanie on.

"She won't make it through the day if we don't have any medicine, Jamie." Jasper states as she looked to Jamie, making eye contact with him, "Even though the weather is against us, we'll need medicine. Can you watch Melanie for me while I go?" asking Jamie calmly as she stood preparing to leave.

Grabbing her bag, her rifle, and her vector whilst leaving the long bat for Jamie. Emptying out any food in her duffle bag,which was little to nothing. Jasper needed to find food as well. Zipping up the mostly empty duffle bag, Jasper took one more look at Jamie before heading outside.

Jasper needed to make haste, but also needed to be far away enough from the place they hid in to not be found. Jasper head a little Northwest, her senses telling it would be good way.

Her pace quick, but quiet, brought her to a little old neighborhood with some lights on and others off. Jasper had to be extremely careful going through homes that most likely held aliens.

She quietly made her way into the first house with all its lights off. Her steps spread apart and careful as she made her way toward what she though might be the bathroom. Jasper had been wrong, it was a child's bedroom she had found, stepping past the doorway of the room, she made her way down a slight hallway.

The first house had nothing, as well as the second and third houses. Jasper's main goal was medicine first then food. The fourth house seemed to inhabit an alien with a habit of keeping human medicines for Jasper had found a cache of medicines.

Moving quickly, Jasper stuffed everything that might relate to colds, fevers, and flu's. Once finished, she quietly made her way out of the house, and raced in as much stealth as she could muster back to Jamie and Melanie.

When Jasper made it to the hideout, it had been several hours since, stopping by the entrance, Jasper pulled off her duffle bag. Moving inside the little trailer, Jasper spotted Jamie holding the bat just in case.

"I've brought what I could, read the instructions before you give her anything, I'm going out one more time to get us some more food. We need it. Be good Jamie. I'll be off." Jasper spoke, dropping the meds into Jamie's lap.

Turning, Jasper left leaving a silent Jamie and a sick Melanie to search for food. Desperate times called for desperate measures, Jasper knew the neighborhoods she previously went to would not be a good idea to head back to.

Instead she headed a little Northeast to a different neighborhood, feeling she had to at least try and find food for them. Off she went, Northeast.

Back in the trailer, Jamie fed Melanie some medicine that did not require food to be eaten before ingesting it. Jamie felt an odd foreboding feeling pass through him when Jasper explained she need to leave. Not a good foreboding feeling, but a bad foreboding feeling.

Little did young Jamie know, the feelings he felt was complete right for him to think was bad, for that was the last time he saw Jasper Panthera again.


	9. Book 2: The Trapped

**Book 2**

**The Trapped**

Where the past, and the present intermingle.

Jamie Stryder is lost.

Jared Howe is protecting Jamie.

Jasper is gone.

Melanie Stryder has been taken by the Souls.

She is now Wanderer, one of the oldest Souls around.

Join Melanie and Wanderer in their journey together before they joined the human pocket.

Where memories intermingle.

Thoughts co-align.

And an alien grows to love, learn, and be a little human.


End file.
